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Report: U.S., Europe Lag Behind Asia in Mobile Gaming Adoption

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 16, 2006 - 8:19am.
Dallas - Mobile phone users in the Asia-Pacific region are more avid consumers of mobile games than their European and North American counterparts, according to a report from market research firm Parks Associates. A survey found that 28% of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region played single-player mobile games on a weekly basis, compared with 13% in Europe and 8% in North America. In the nascent market for mobile multiplayer games, the survey found 7% played them weekly in the Asia-Pacific region, versus just 2% in both Europe and North America. "Cellular operators in North America and Europe are lagging behind their Asia-Pacific counterparts in mobile gaming, but they are starting to increase their focus on this area," said Parks Associates analyst Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai. "Large game publishers such as EA are also reevaluating market opportunities and investing heavily in the space, so with wider deployments of 3G mobile networks and the continued development of feature-rich handsets with gamer-friendly designs, these regions should be able to reduce the international gaming gap."
tags: Games | Mobile | Europe | Asia | Adoption | Behind | U.S. |

U.S. Patent Office to Re-Examine Forgent JPEG Patent

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 3, 2006 - 6:45am.
Austin, Texas - Forgent Networks, a company that buys patents and seeks to license their use by other companies, announced this week that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will re-examine its patent related to JPEG technology. Texas-based Forgent has already generated over $105 million in licensing fees on the patent, from makers of digital cameras, cell phones and other devices. If invalidated, the company would keep the licensing fees already won but would not be able to pursue further deals.
tags: U.S. | Patent | JPEG | Re-Examine |

Google Now More Popular in U.K. than in U.S., Report Says

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 18, 2005 - 10:05am.
London -- According to a new report by Internet monitoring firm Hitwise, Google is more popular in the U.K. than in the U.S. The report found that google.co.uk came in first place in terms of market share of visits, 48%, and volume of searches, 63.7%. By comparison, Google's U.S. website only commands 36.6% market share and accounts for 56.7% of search volume. The report showed that Google came in 55 percentage points ahead of its nearest competitor, MSN Search, which accounted for just 7.86% of the market based on volume of searches. The following sites rounded out the Top 10: google.com (7.7%), uk.search.yahoo.com (5.5%), ifind.freeserve.com (4.45%), search.yahoo.com (2.93%), ask.com (1.92%), search.msn.com (1.22%), ask.co.uk (1.22%) and altavista.com (0.71%).
tags: Reports | Google | U.K | U.S. |

Sony Plans March Launch for PSP Handheld Game in U.S., Europe

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 5, 2005 - 2:59am.
Las Vegas -- Sony Computer Entertainment president and CEO Ken Kutaragi said on Wednesday that the company plans to launch its new PSP (PlayStation Portable) handheld video game system in the U.S. and Europe in March, Reuters reported. The device launched in Japan on Dec. 12, where Sony shipped 510,000 units of the $190 device. Sony plans to ship 3 million PSP units worldwide by March 31. Rival Nintendo has seen strong sales of its new handheld, the DS, which has already sold 1.3 million units in the U.S. and Japan, and will see 5 million units shipped to worldwide retailers by March 31.
tags: Sony | Europe | Launch | U.S. | March | PSP Handheld Game |

Virgin Group Launches Music Download Service in U.S.

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2004 - 9:33am.
London -- Virgin Group joined a growing list of companies on Monday when it launched its new Virgin Digital music download service in the U.S., offering songs at 99 cents apiece and a monthly subscription service for $7.99. The company said it would also offer streaming radio with Radio Free Virgin, as well as a range of portable device management tools. Virgin Digital said it would eventually offer the service outside of the U.S., but did not provide specific dates thereof. Virgin Digital, a unit of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group, downplayed the fact that a large number of players already offer similar services in the U.S. and elsewhere. "We don't see this as crowded," said Virgin Digital president Zack Zalon. "It's not saturated at all, and there is tremendous growth potential." Zalon also said that Virgin was taking a long-term approach to the market and that it expected to be a "significant player" within five years.
tags: U.S. | Music Download Service | Virgin Group |

U.S., Australia Sign Trade Pact on Tariffs, Copyright Issues

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 3, 2004 - 3:50am.
Washington -- The U.S. has signed a trade agreement with Australia that will export some U.S. intellectual property laws, including software patents and controversial provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, CNET News.com reported. President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed the agreement on Tuesday, with Bush touting the agreement both for eliminating tariffs on manufactured goods and agricultural products, and for its copyright-related provisions. The agreement will extend the duration of copyrights in Australia and also outlaw the circumvention of copy-protection schemes on digital devices. "The agreement strengthens protections for intellectual property and promotes electronic commerce," said Bush. "Our two nations are committed to the reduction of trade barriers and other restrictions that are keeping too much of the world from the kind of prosperity and opportunity that the developed world takes for granted."
tags: Deals | Australia | U.S. | Tariffs | Copyright Issues |

Senate Bill With Bipartisan Support Would Ban P2P Networks in U.S.

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 23, 2004 - 8:01am.
Washington -- A Senate bill that has gained key bipartisan support would, if approved, effectively ban peer-to-peer file-sharing networks in the U.S., CNET News.com reported on Wednesday. Introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004 would effectively overturn the landmark ruling in MGM v. Grokster, currently under appeal, that found that peer-to-peer file-sharing software is legal and any copyright infringement liability rested with end-users. "This bill remedies a threat to the security of copyrights as well as to our citizens and children," said Hatch. "Because about half of the users of this software are children, this for-profit piracy scheme mostly endangers children who are ill-equipped to appreciate the illegality or risks of their acts." Hatch noted that supporters of the bill include Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).
tags: U.S. | Ban | Senate Bill | Bipartisan Support | P2P Networks |

Report: Number of U.S. Music Downloaders Up 27%

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 26, 2004 - 3:19am.
Washington -- The number of online Americans who have downloaded music from the Internet -- both via file-sharing networks like Kazaa and purchased downloads through retailers like iTunes -- increased from 18 million to 23 million between November 2003 and March 2004, according to data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The Pew survey also found that 14% of online Americans say that they used to download files but don't anymore, with a third of these citing fear of lawsuits from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Pew report also cited ComScore measurement data that shows that between November 2003 and February 2004 alone, more than 5 million fewer people were actively running the Kazaa file-sharing application. However, this was tempered by a rise in the use of smaller services including iMesh, BitTorrent and eMule. Overall, 31% of downloaders said they use file-sharing networks; 17% reported having purchased downloads via iTunes or other retailers, while the rest found free tracks on musicians' sites or used e-mail or instant messaging to trade songs.
tags: Music | Raise | U.S. |

U.S. Justice Dept. Conducts Intl. Raids on "Warez" Internet Piracy Groups

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 22, 2004 - 3:52am.
Washington -- The U.S. Justice Dept. on Thursday announced that yesterday it launched its most far-reaching enforcement action ever against Internet piracy groups, coordinating with law enforcement in 10 countries to conduct 120 raids targeting "warez" groups that distribute pirated software, music, movies and video games. "Operation Fastlink" seized 200 computers and 30 servers that housed an estimated $50 million in pirated goods. As part of the investigation, the FBI on Thursday served six search warrants in San Diego County as part of the ongoing investigation, the Associated Press reported. The raids also targeted individuals in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Justice Dept. said it investigated video game warez groups including Fairlight, Kalisto, Echelon, Class and Project X, and a music piracy group called APC. The ongoing investigations are being aided by U.S. trade groups including the Business Software Alliance, the Entertainment Software Association, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.
tags: U.S. | Raids | Laws | Warez |

Norwegian Wireless Content Firm Telitas Launches in U.S., Acquires Proteus

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 22, 2004 - 3:40am.
New York -- Telitas, a Norwegian mobile content distributor, announced on Thursday its expansion into the U.S. and acquisition of D.C.-based mobile entertainment publisher Proteus. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Telitas said it will hold offices in New York and Los Angeles, and named Greger Larson chairman of Telitas US. The company also announced the hiring of Kenneth Krushel as CEO, as well as Russell Kagan and David L. Simon, who will focus on developing wireless content applications. The company said it will leave the management team at Proteus in place, with Krushel holding the additional title of Proteus' CEO. Protues has created wireless entertainment applications for companies including Fox Sports, HBO, ABC Enhanced TV and Discovery Communications.
tags: U.S. | Norwegian Wireless | Telitas |

Report: 21% of U.S. Downloaders Have Grabbed Feature-Length Film

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 20, 2004 - 4:19am.
New York -- In a sign that films are becoming more popular on peer-to-peer networks, one-fifth (21%) of U.S. downloaders aged 12 and older reported having downloaded a feature-length film over the Internet, according to a survey conducted in late 2003 by marketing research firm Ipsos-Insight. Further, nearly one out of ten (9%) had done so in the past 30 days. "Clearly, digitally experienced Americans are beginning to demand increasingly diverse formats of entertainment to be available via the Internet," said Ipsos-Insight senior analyst Matt Kleinschmit. The survey also found that nearly two-fifths (38%) of American downloaders have downloaded a music video from the Internet, with 15% reporting having done so in the last 30 days.
tags: Download | Films | U.S. |

Report: 23% of U.S. Households Own Portable Digital Music Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 14, 2004 - 5:19am.
Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Shipments of portable digital music players, such as Apple's iPod, reached 24 million units in 2003, representing sales of over $3 billion and growth rate of over 200% over the previous year, according to a report from Arizona-based market research firm In In-Stat/MDR. Currently, an estimated 23% of all U.S. households own a portable digital music player. The firm expects worldwide portable digital music player unit shipments to see a 16% compound annual growth rate for the period 2003-2008, with hard drive-based player shipments growing 100% and flash memory-based devices seeing decreased growth rates in 2004. "Online subscription music services have finally begun to attract significant traffic to their sites by offering portability and pricing models that are more attractive to consumers. However, while this is a step in the right direction, these services will still need to re-work their business models in order to attract consumers from peer-to-peer sites," said In-Stat/MDR analyst Cindy McCurley. In-Stat predicts that online music revenues -- from both sales of physical media and downloads -- will grow about 28% this year over 2003 totals.
tags: Raise | U.S. | Digital Music Players | Households |

U.S. Shareholders File Class Action Suit Again Nokia

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 7, 2004 - 6:51am.
Helsinki -- The largest mobile-phone maker in the world, has been sued by U.S.-based law firm Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach, which filed a class-action suit against Nokia for "material misrepresentations" when the Finnish mobile group predicted an increase in first-quarter sales -- only to announce later that revenues fell. According to a statement released, the suit, which includes Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila and CFO Rick Simonson, claims that Nokia issued "a series of material misrepresentations to the market between Jan. 8, 2004, and April 6, 2004". Nokia revealed on Tuesday that its first-quarter sales had unexpectedly dropped by 2% after having previously predicted sales would grow by at least 3% and as much as 7%. The news sent its shares crashing by nearly 17% in late Tuesday afternoon trading. Nokia said on Wednesday that the class-action suit against it for securities fraud was without merit and that it would defend itself vigorously.
tags: Nokia | U.S. | Laws |

Survey: U.S. Males Spend Increasing Share of Media Time on Games

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 5, 2004 - 7:45am.
Menlo Park, Calif. -- U.S. males aged 18-34 now report spending a larger share of the time they spend each day with media playing video games (6%) than they do reading newspapers (3%), while U.S. male teenagers devote an even larger percentage of their media day playing video games (15%), according to a consumer survey conducted by Knowledge Networks/SRI's MultiMedia Mentor. Watching television still commands the lion's share of daily media use among 18-34 males (42%) and teenagers (45%), followed in each demographic by radio and the Internet. However, the survey only takes into account console video game usage, and does not include other gaming platforms such as the PC, Internet or cell phones. The new research also shows that, during evening hours (6PM to midnight), a growing number (5%) of men 18 to 34 say they play videogames while watching little or no television.
tags: Games | U.S. | Survey | Medias |

U.S. Indie Record Labels Look to Form Own Trade Group

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 2, 2004 - 8:51am.
New York -- Over 150 U.S. independent record labels are negotiating to form their own trade group to negotiate copyright and distribution matters on behalf of members, The Financial Times reported. Details for the group, whose working title is "American Music Independents," will be discussed during meetings in New York and Los Angeles this month. The group would give a voice to independents not represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), whose members include the major record labels Sony, BMG, EMI, Warner and Universal. U.S. independent record labels represent approximately 13% of the world's $13 billion total music sales, and about 30% of the online retail market. The proposed U.S. group has consulted both the U.K.'s Association of Independent Music (AIM) and Europe's Impala -- which represents 2,400 independent labels -- on organizing the collective.
tags: Indie | Labels | Record | U.S. |

Report: One-Fifth of U.S. Homes to Own Commercial-Skipping PVRs by 2007

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 25, 2003 - 10:29am.

Boston -- Although only two percent of U.S. homes currently own one, personal video recorders (PVRs) will be in 19.1 million homes by 2007, giving one-fifth of the country the ability to skip through TV commercials, predicts Boston-based market research firm In-Stat/MDR. "This subversion of the ad-sponsored TV model eventually will disrupt the entire value chain for television," said Yankee Group analyst Adi Kishore. While advising that "guerilla branding initiatives" will become necessary from advertisers, In-Stat/MDR believes the 30-second spot will still be the most-used ad format for the next five years. Also, privacy will become a critical issue with emerging targeted advertising technologies. The firm forecasts the ad industry will feel the impact of PVRs by mid-to-late 2005, when they are in 10 million homes.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?U17C52006
tags: U.S. | Homes | Commercial-Skipping | PVRs |